Shunning staged photoshoots and fake friendship, Amstel has launched a new campaign that captures real, unguarded moments between friends catching up over drinks in bars. 

The photographic project titled ‘Shot Without Permission’ aims to champion authenticity in a world of AI. The pictures capture genuine moments that can only happen when people aren’t thinking of the camera.

Amstel is a brand built on true friendship, founded by two friends in Amsterdam in 1870 who set out to brew a beer worthy of their friendship. The photography campaign aims to bring to life this notion, showing the natural connection between a circle of true friends and the moments they share over a drink.

Shot by photographer Javier Tles, the project saw Tles move through bars and capture moments as they unfolded. After the shots were taken, the team approached those involved to inform them about the potential use of the images and to obtain their consent. 

The resulting shots are unposed scenes of joy and connection. By removing the staging, Amstel aims to show its existing position within culture, enjoyed by friends in bars around the world.

“We treated this as documentary photography, not advertising,” said photographer Javier Tles. “Nothing was directed or staged. By stepping back and letting moments unfold, we were able to capture something far more honest - interactions and feelings as they exist in real life, not as they are usually presented.”

The unpolished images show friends, mid-conversation, laughing together, in casual clothes as they would turn up to the bar. The shots aim to reflect the real way Amstel is enjoyed together.

The campaign sees Amstel hold a mirror up to genuine friendships, following a study commissioned by Amstel that found that friends are the people we feel most ourselves around - more than even romantic partners, with 68% seeing friendships as key enablers of being their true, authentic selves.  

“To portray genuine friendship, we had to momentarily break every rule in marketing. No casting. No script. No consent. We decided to shoot first and ask for permission later. The results speak for themselves,” explained Daniel Fisher, Global Chief Creative Officer at Ingo.

As part of the campaign, anyone who sees themselves in the campaign placements across outdoor and social channels is invited to come forward and claim a year’s supply of Amstel.

The joyful campaign celebrates true friends while solidifying Amstel’s messaging of friendship and true position in culture.